Nexus
by Taryn Streambattle
Summary: Everything is connected in a complex web, and the tiniest change shakes the world. A series of unrelated AU oneshots.
1. Vortex

**Rating:** **K **

**Beta:** Sincynati. I know she said these would be unbeta'd but she was tehre and I wrote this in half an hour. I needed SOMETHING

**Disclaimer:** I only own this idea. Which, the more I think about it, might actually be doable in canon...

**Notes: **Mito is 139. Naruto is cute. NOT Iruka/Mito

**Tremor:** _Uzumaki Mito was alive during the Kyuubi Attack_

* * *

**Nex·us**

1. a means of connection; tie; link.

2. a connected series or group.

3. the core or center, as of a matter or situation.

* * *

**Vortex**

She was old now. Her once radiant beauty had long ago faded away, her love for this village as dead as the only man who had ever understood her.

Alone she sat on the porch, rocking her only reason to live gently in her arms. The Kyuubi child, the nexus who would be her revenge against Konoha.

She smiled to herself. She was old, no denying that. She was bereft of her legendary beauty and influence, her home village long ago razed to the ground. But even Sarutobi, the Third Hokage himself, had dared not cross her when she demanded to be the caretaker for the new jinchuuriki.

She stroked Naruto's hair, gently. Such a good boy, just like his mother...

Gentle footsteps echoed in the shadows outside the porch. A figure moved in the dark. She sat up, suddenly alert as she held Naruto closer. "Who's there?"

The figure stepped into the light, and she half-rose, mouth opening in shock. The young boy with nervous eyes before her revived old memories, memories of pranks and laughter in the night at Uzushiogakure, and for a moment she really believed that Harashima had come back to her from the dead.

But then she saw the difference in their stances- Harashima had always been brazen, this lad was more reserved- the deep sorrow that Harashima had never carried in his eyes until his late adulthood and the softer, rounder contours of his face. Not Harashima.

But very like him.

He spoke, and she couldn't help but notice that this boy had a higher voice than Harashima. "My name's Iruka. Umino Iruka. I heard you fired your last babysitter... helper... and I need money..."

"How old are you, Iruka?"

"Eleven. I'm graduating this year."

She approached him, watching his expression. That face... he could easily be one of her many descendants. And he wore white. White. Of all things he could have chosen, it was the one most likely to kill you. It was also the color of preference in Uzushiogakure. It was a common saying that Uzumaki enjoyed suicidal challenges. In her youth, Mito had tried her best to prove it. She had stood among the best of the best. And now... now she, Uzumaki Mito of the Devil's Luck, needed help to take care of a ten-month-old baby.

"Why do you want to work for me, child?"

"I need the money... and I'm good with kids. Sort of. I noticed that no one really talks about you or even knows who you are... and I wanted to help..."

She stood directly across from him now, staring him in the eyes. He was intimidated, but he didn't back down. Oh yes, this one was interesting...

Naruto giggled and reached for the newcomer. Iruka smiled, a smile that tore her heart in half as she remembered that rougish grin, and let Naruto snatch his finger. After a second, Naruto got bored with the finger and let go, eyes wandering for a new treasure. He espied a pendant around Iruka's neck he wanted to taste and with a giggle he grabbed at it.

Her eyes widened as she realized the pendant was carved into the symbol of the Uzumaki Clan. Exactly like the pendants she had given each of her children.

Umino was his surname. The sea, of which whirlpools were made. Naruto liked him, and he did not follow the crowd. He had shown determination and though he was bad at negotiation, that could easily be taught. A potential student.

"_Mito, what are you thinking? You don't need a student. Have you forgotten what this village has done to you? You teach him and it will all collapse."_

She ignored her inner voice and turned towards the door. "Come inside, young man. We have much to discuss."

* * *

**Next Chapter:** He's been gone for a long time. But now, Kakashi needs him. He should have been there a long time ago, he's not leaving his son alone again.


	2. Crack

**Rating:** **K+ **Angsty stuff, blood, and Post-Character Death

**Beta:** … Sincynati

**Inspiration:** Probably something written by the wonderful KakashiKrazed. Go check out her stories! Written with the orchestra version of _ A Song of Storm and Fire_

**Music Box: **www (dot) youtube (dot) com /watch?v=_LDUHrL4RCk&NR=1&feature=fvwp

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto.

**Notes: **Yes, I gave an excuse for Sakumo to kill himself without making him a total jerk in _A Mere Pawn_. That does _not_ mean I'm letting him off the hook entirely.

**Tremor:** _Hatake Sakumo did not kill himself_

* * *

The front door slid open.

He ignored the sound, absorbed as he was in his reading, until he heard a dull thud. His head snapped up and he listened intently. Silence.

Sakumo lowered the scroll he had been engaged in, extending his senses.

Something was wrong.

Footsteps aimlessly wandered the first floor, instead of marching up to the training room on the third floor with crisp, clear taps. An unfamiliar sound broke the silence…

He slowly rose to his feet and loosened Shiroikiba from its sheath, which always hung at his hip, and slipped down the stairs without the slightest knock on the steps. "Kakashi, is that you?"

His voice echoed off the stone floor. No response. He stepped around a pile of gear on the floor, tensing. Shiroikiba cleared its sheath. Kakashi would never throw his gear on the floor.

"'Kashi?"

He took a deep sniff and tensed when he detected the stench of blood. His eyes roved the room, taking in every detail and his already on-edge mind nearly went into parental overdrive when he saw a trail of blood vanishing around the corner into the hall.

"Kakashi!"

The droplets led to the room he used to share with his wife, vanishing behind the closed door. There was only the barest hint of hesitation before he tried the door. It was sealed.

"'Kashi, are you alright?" he demanded.

There was shuffling sound, a noise like a creature hiding from the light. "No," Kakashi answered at last, sliding the door open. His head was lowered, hiding his face, but Sakumo was much more concerned with the blood leaking through bandages tied onto a gash on his upper side. Kakashi's stance was so downcast- such a far cry from his normal confidence...

He tried to say something, anything, but the words were stuck in his throat. This was Kakashi without the mask, Kakashi when he was not hiding behind his cold, heartless exterior.

Finally, his voice seemed to work. "Kashi, you're-"

"Saku- Father-" Kakashi gave a sound that sounded almost like a whimper, and passed a hand over his eyes. For the first time in a long time, he looked his nine years of age- and yet his eyes were so... old. "I- I'm sorry. I never understood now- but now- I-"

Sakumo realized with a jolt that his son was crying. His voice had that hiccupy, shaky quality to it and he could hear teardrops hitting the floor. Kakashi never cried.

"I- understand, I didn't listen and I- I killed him."

"'Kakashi, look at me." Sakumo reached into the shadows and lifted his son's face.

It took a minute for the drastic change to process- bandages stained brown with blood, black designs spinning crimson in a sea of pale skin.

His hand fell away in shock.

_'A Sharingan! But how-'_

"Now I understand...cause Obito's dead." Kakashi sank to the ground, dully repeating his thoughts as all the emotion built up over the years of estrangement finally overwhelmed the child's mind. "He's dead and it's all my fault. I failed him, I-I-"

Sakumo knelt by his son and pulled him into a shaky embrace. _How did it come to this? How could I have failed him so thoroughly?_

How had Kakashi gone from the happy, curious little boy into the broken warrior who stood before him?

He could never know for sure, but it all stemmed from his failure to better teach Kakashi why he'd abandoned the mission in favor of his comrades, that he hadn't protected Kakashi from the people who hated the choice he made. In their minds, Kakashi was guilty by association and, young as he was, in the hectic, panicked rush of the war, he had no way to protect himself until he, too, was just another face on the field.

Worst of all, he'd failed to be there when Kakashi had needed him the most. _I've spent so much time wallowing in self-pity, I'd have been around Kakashi more if I were dead! How can I fix this? How can I even _begin_ to repair the damage I've caused? Oh God, forgive me for blowing it a third time. You gave me three beautiful children and each time I've failed. Oh please, God, let me fix this._

_Can I even fix it?_

"Father- I-"

"Shh, shh," he crooned, rocking Kakashi gently, "We'll talk about it later."

More stifled sobs, but Kakashi was calming down.

"I don't know if we can fix this, 'Kashi," he whispered, "But I promise- we'll do our best. Forgive me. I'm so sorry." _Sorry's not good enough,_ his mind screamed even as the words leaked from his mouth, _Prove you're sorry and fix it already, Hatake!_

The trouble was, Sakumo didn't think he could. But the least he could do was try.

Hard blue eyes watched through a window. Minato silently slipped a scroll detailing exactly what had happened onto the counter, ensuring not to disturb his student and his father, and turned to Rin. "Come on, Rin," he said gently, "Time go home."

She did not hear him, staring at Kakashi. "He's so broken," she whispered, "I- I never guessed-"

He placed a hand on her shoulder. "We're all broken, Rin. Even Obito was broken, in his own way."

She looked up, tears welling in her eyes. "How-"

He smiled softly, sadness tinging his face. "Obito was lonely. He needed encouragement and support, someone who could help him grow and not belittle him. Kakashi helped more than it seemed, it was good for Obito to have someone around to inspire him, to give him better discipline."

"Did he- I mean-"

He nodded. "You were kind to him, Rin. You showed him how to be gentle when all he's know from that bas- erm, his father- is harsh words." _Great job, Minato, insult the Clan Head and start a civil war._

She swallowed and spontaneously hugged her sensei, sobbing into his flak vest.

He embraced her back and prayed that no one else would die. Now, in the dark away from the hectic panic of the battlefield, Minato could feel his heart breaking. Kakashi is brilliant beyond a teacher's dreams, Rin was the gentle, well-behaved healer, but Obito- Obito, the boisterous Dead Last and so-called "failed experiment"- had been his favorite, though the Flash hated to admit it. He never gave up. Even when all odds were against him, Obito always kept smiling no matter what and tried harder.

_Well,_ he thought grimly,_ Now Obito's dead. The odds have more or less crushed him._

He looked back in the window. Kakashi collapsed to the ground, couldn't hear what Sakumo was saying, but what ever it was it was helping Kakashi. The jounin- no, the child- was more relaxed, leaning into his father's attention like a man starving to death at last thrown some bread.

_Sakumo's been lost for a long time,_ Minato realized,_ but he hasn't given up. He's going to make it right. Kakashi's in good hands. _

_So I won't give up either. _

* * *

**Next Chapter:** It is the Fourth Great Shinobi War, only six years after the destruction of Kannabi Bridge. Once again, Kakashi and Obito are out of options.


	3. Sunset

**Rating:** **K+** Mention of dried blood and a mini fight scene

**Beta:** -

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto. But I do own a massive debt to my dad which can only be paid off by cleaning my room. :( Wish me luck...

**Notes: **And this is the most butchered timeline to date. Ages have been messed around with, wars and politics more or less ignored. 

**EDIT:** Civilian POV idea inspired by _Crisis,_ an incredible story by WhyMustIWrite. Five drafts and none of them worked until I tried Tsunami's POV. GO read.**  
**

**Tremor:**_ Obito lived and Iwa found a reason to declare war on Konoha again or something...  
_

* * *

**_Sunset_**

The barmaid filled another glass of ale, but her eyes never left the stranger lounging in the corner of the room. He'd been loitering there for nearly an hour without buying anything, and he was tense as a bent bow.

She hesitated. The bar's policy was that you had to accost patrons who did not pay within the hour, but... technically, he hadn't bought anything. He was waiting for someone. His eyes were emotionless and cold, but they flickered to the door every time it squeaked open. As the minutes crawled by, the shadows under his eyes got darker.

He was about forty, she guessed, with an... unusual... shock of white-ish silver hair framing a pair of keen grey eyes. His skin was nearly as pale as his hair, and his face was.. forgettable. Nothing noticeableabout it, neither exceedingly handsome nor extremely ugly. Just average. A face that would have faded from her mind over time save for what happened next.

The door burst open and group of men- led by a patriarch with a rough bandage around his head- stumbled in. "Did you hear? Konoha's forces were defeated!"

"Crushed!"

"They say that the only ones left alive are the prisoners of Iwa!"

The reaction was immediate. Men leapt up from their chairs, asking questions and howling curses, some dashing out of the bar to look for loved ones.

Tsunami's heart lurched. Even though this was a civilian town, shinobi battles were known to encompasss miles and even the innocent were oft fated to be casualties of their conflicts. Thank the heavens, Inari was in his crib in the back room. She had planned to join Tazuna in Nami no Kuni before the month was out, but this would be impossible now...

The stranger in the corner hunched deeper into the shadows during all the hullabaloo. Tsunami saw his shoulders heave- once, twice, then no more.

"Yeah, it's true!"

"Saw it with my own two eyes! Dead shinobi for miles around!"

"Iwa forces will be here within the hour!"

Tsunami covered her ears to block the noise and watched as all the customers inevitably swarmed out to search for loved ones or friends, some even to see the carnage with their own eyes. She lowered her arms and sighed at the huge mess. Some had left without paying, but if what the men had said was true, that was the least of her worries right now.

"Hey," the man at the corner called, flicking a silver coin in her direction, "care to bring me some sake?"

Momentarily shocked that anyone would remain in the tavern, she recovered and somehow managed to catch the shiny missile. "Oh- um, hai- I mean, yes." Not all customers spoke the High Language, she scolded herself as she poured the gentleman's drink.

He was younger than she'd thought- closer to her age than she had thought. But his eyes were strange... they reminded her of an old man who lost his entire livelihood and not a reckless teenager.

"Hard times?" she asked gently, moved by a sudden burst of pity.

He tossed his head back and drained the glass with a single gulp. He lowered his head and sighed. "In a way." It wasn't a self-pitying statement, but a frank one.

She moved to refill his glass but he waved her away. "No thanks."

Tsunami hesitated, watching his careworn face. It reminded her of a scarecrow- a limp, faded scarecrow left too long in the sun with no relief from its scorching rays, no respite from pecking crows.

This man... he was alone.

Her heart clenched in pity, and some unknown compulsion led her to cover his pale fingers with her tanned hand. He looked up, startled by her touch, and there was a glint in his eyes that told her that she had made a big mistake.

Before she could stammer an apology, the door burst open again and both parties looked up in mild shock as a fat lady squeezed inside the door frame and slammed it closed, bolting it tightly. Without a further word she dashed around the room and began to shut all the blinds.

"Hey- what are you-"

A puff of smoke rose from the fat lady, and Tsunami gasped as the obese old lady changed to a tall, thin young man with a messy tangle of black hair and eyes like two burning coals. A small bundle lay in his arms, seemingly produced it from nowhere, and a thick black crust of dried blood adhered to his head from where his face had been slashed open from temple to chin. Physically, he was older than her customer by what looked to be five years or so, placing him at... Twenty-five? Twenty?

A shinobi transformation technique, she realized with a quiver of fear, her eyes flickering between the two men. This must mean that...

The customer had already stood up. For a moment, she thought she saw a tear in the corner of his eye before his face turned completely away from her. "Obito, you're late. Again. I swear, one more time and I'll court martial you." The attempt at fierceness was drowned in relief, the anger's impurity was revealed by the emotional crack in his voice.

Obito... the name rang a bell in her head.

The other shinobi nodded solemnly and chose not to reply, simply handing his bundle to her customer.

His eyes widened. "This... Obito, how did you-"

"I didn't. Gai gave him to me. I don't know how Gai got him out of that death trap, but we can ask him about it later."

"So some of the Red Force made it anyway? Who?"

"Gai, Kotetsu- but he's banged up pretty badly, I _told_ the Old Man that he wasn't ready for the field, heck, he just made chuunin-"

"Obito!"

"Sorry! Yuugao, Hayate, and Shikaku. Ah.. and.. Shibi. Not many, is it?"

"More than I thought I had five minutes ago."

"Oh gosh, I hope nobody's reported Kotetsu dead in Konoha. I don't think Mizuki could handle _another_ death in the family."

"Actually, that's our best hope. There's no way we can organize a defense with so many of our shinobi dead. No matter what we do, _Konoha will fall_. If they don't know we have soldiers left, they won't expect any kind of resistance."

Obito scowled. "So... what about Naruto? If we're going to form a resistance, we can't be balancing a baby on the side."

"...We could always put him up for adoption?" Kakashi's suggestion was only half serious, but Obito responded with gusto.

"Kakashi, no way! Minato-sensei would want a good home for him, not to be straddled with a bunch of strangers!"

"What do you suggest? We sure as heck can't take him to Konoha! We can't even get in the gates!"

"Oh yes we can!" Obito cackled gleefully, "Get me within a mile of the gates and I guarantee that we can get inside."

"...How? And what are we going to do with Naruto once we get in? Leave him with the academy students?"

Obito looked down at his shoes like a naughty child. "...I was thinking my genin."

"Is the best idea you can come up with, Mr. 'I'm going to invent as many traps as I possibly can so I can teach them to my little hellion tag along and make Kakashi's life miserable?'"

"No, it's perfect! Iwa ninja have extremely low opinions of genin, they'd never expect us to entrust Minato-sensei's kid to them! Besides, Iruka, Anko, and Mizuki _almost _passed the chuunin exams!"

"'_Almost_' isn't good enough. You said yourself- Kotetsu wasn't ready for the field and he _made_ chuunin!"

"Yeah? Well, all the weaknesses that kept them from passing are covered if they work together!"

"..."

"Look, Anko's too impatient, and Mizuki overthinks things, Iruka might have a tiny issue with killing-"

"Throwing up after every kill is_ tiny_?"

"That's beside the point! They cover each other. It takes two of them working together to beat the other. They're perfect for the job."

"...You know that if they're caught, they're dead. Or worse. If that happens, can you live with that?"

Obito's eyes dimmed. Iwa was easily one of the more ruthless shinobi nations. The fate of most Iwa POWs were blood chilling even by shinobi standards. Both shinobi knew that if the genin were caught, they wouldn't survive the war.

He'd thought his teammate was crazy when Obito got it into his head to volunteer for mentorship to a genin team. When he actually got one, he was convinced that Minto-sensei was crazy. All he could get out of Obito on the matter was "Uchiha-Konoha relations are very very bad and here's a way I can improve them!" and something about the Clan rebelling against Konoha so he'd rebel against the Clan. Whatever. Icha Icha was much more interesting than Obito's ramblings and the chuunin's angry reaction once he realized that Kakashi was no longer listening was priceless every single time.

Either way, it didn't change the fact that for perhaps the first time in his life, Obito had people who looked up to him. While Kakashi had been convinced that he would get a big head, it did the opposite. It humbled Obito once he realized how much they relied on him, trusted him. Loved him.

This was a big step for Obito. If he rejected the idea of entrusting Naruto's care to them, well, they'd think of something else. But despite his criticism of the idea, Kakashi knew deep down that there was nothing else they could do. It was either dump the baby on the genin or they'd have to cart the baby along with them. That could only last so long before luck ran out.

Obito looked up and the crimson fire was back stronger than ever. "They won't get caught."

"And you know this.. how?"

"They won't. Get caught."

And for some strange reason, Kakashi believed him.

Tsunami hesitated, looking between the two ninja. She stepped back, deciding to escape through the back door. Both pairs of eyes snapped onto her.

She felt liquid drip off her temple under their intense stares.

Kakashi swore. The look on Obito's face showed her what he was thinking- she heard every word. She could betray them...

"We'll have to kill her." There was no emotion in Kakashi's voice- just cold, hard, frost. "It's either her or the genin."

This couldn't be happening. This couldn't... no... she couldn't leave Inari... Why? Why now?

A thin wail rose from the back room. Both shinobi looked at each other. "Is that your baby?" Obito asked, eyes narrowing as information whirled in his head.

All the horrible stories she had heard about angry shinobi played in her mind. Splattered blood, snatched babies raised as child warriors...

She snatched a knife from its holder and extended it, angling the blade at Kakashi's neck. "Touch him and I'll- I'll kill you!"

The words had only just left her mouth when a sharp rap on her elbow forced her hand open. Strong arms grabbed her around the waist and forced her neck back, a bare blade touching her skin.

She hadn't even seen him move.

"Kakashi, no! I have a better idea?"

"And that would be?"

"Take her with us to Konoha. Saddle her with the genin."

"... Obito, I think you've overused Sharingan again."

"Yes, she's a civilian, but did you see the way she held that knife? Not at all like a weapon. I've seen Iruka's dad hold it like that and he was a cook. At least, she's probably a better cook than Iruka, Mizuki, Anko, and you put together."

"Watch it, Obito," the jounin growled.

_Yes, please do,_ she thought, _after all, it's my neck. And Inari's._

"She knows more about baby care than they do, and she's an adult. She'll provide cover."

Kakashi looked her over again. There was merit to Obito's suggestion, but there were enough risks...

"I'll do it," she whispered, "Just don't touch my child."

Kakashi released her, only for Obito to approach her and force her back against the wall. His Sharingan were out, spinning and whirling like one of the firey planets. "If you betray them, turn them in, or otherwise cause them hurt in any way, I will find you. And you will be very, very dead."

She swallowed and nodded. "I understand."

"He's really quite charming once you get to know him," Kakashi chortled, amused by the fact that Obito actually looked dangerous. _Just wait until tonight. One coo from that baby and he'll melt like butter. Lame-o._

Tsunami nodded, but it was plain she didn't believe him. Obito turned and walked away, his sudden burst of energy fading as he collapsed in a chair by the fire. "We should leave soon," he murmured, "Now. Get your things together."

She went and collected Inari and tied her few possessions into a bundle, coming out again. Obito was asleep, clutching Naruto in his arms, but the worry lines on his face hadn't faded. Kakashi was cleaning his face wound, muttering curses under his breath.

For Tsunami, it was a scary moment to see a shinobi show any kind of emotion other than anger. Affection, obvious affection for a brother-in-arms, was strange to her. She knew that some shinobi didn't care about their comrades so long as the mission was fulfilled.

But Konoha ninja were different.

She timidly approached him, watching in silence for a minute. Unexpectedly, he turned and grinned at her. "Boo."

She gasped and stumbled backwards, nearly tripping, but she managed to correct herself in time. "D-don't do that!" she scolded.

He smirked and turned back to dabbing the last of the blood away. Once it was gone and the wound was bandaged, he whacked Obito none too gently on the cranium. "Wake up, baka marimo. Time to go."

"I know that," the chuunin muttered as his eyes flew open, "give me some credit."

"Never."

The trio left the doors to the tavern open behind them.

They didn't look back.

* * *

Ha, Kakashi/Tsunami FTW. The only Kakashi pairing that doesn't make me barf up my guts. And even then I much prefer him single, and it really only works AU- which is one of the reasons why it is only hinted at. But then, you're talking to an Obito/Mikoto fan here... Can anyone guess what baka marimo is from?

**Next Chapter: **Possibly some Haku action? I have learned that posting summaries before you have actually written the chapter is a very very bad idea. So, I'm asking for requests. No promises, I have ideas I can draw upon if I don't get any, but if you have an AU idea, I'd like to hear it. If I have already thought of it, It'll be a joint credit.

Now, GO HERE: http:/ www. fanfiction. net/ s/ 5530819/ 1/ Crisis (Preferably after you review?)


	4. Steal

**_Steal_**

**SENSEI-**

"Sensei, why do they hate me?"

"They don't understand you. They only see what you could be. That is why they fear you."

"But I don't want them to fear me. How… how can I change that?"

"You cannot make them love you. You just need to find a special few people who love you for who you are."

The boy leans against the older man and curls up, trusting, completely innocent. "I don't need anything but you, sensei," he says after a moment, watching the sunset.

The teacher disagrees, slightly guilty, but he tightens his mouth and says nothing.

**BOY-**

He hates the longer, private class sessions alone with sensei. Sensei claims it's for his own good, but Naruto disagrees. Seals are confusing, and it's when sensei is most likely to get angry. Not shouting angry, but sad angry.

It scares Naruto when sensei gets sad angry. His eyes go distant and his hands begin to shake, even the sound of his name won't get his attention. Then he sighs and tries again to show Naruto how seals work. Naruto tries hard to learn- if it will make sensei happy, the classes are worth it.

It doesn't work. Never does.

**SENSEI-**

He tries not to hate the boy.

Every time he looks at the boy, he sees his friend's dead eyes staring back at him. Their faces are nothing alike, but the way they smile is identical. And the eyes. He can never escape the eyes.

Promise aside, he thinks he spends time with the boy in a last, desperate attempt to pacify the ghost of his teammate. He wants to see his friend happy one last time, wants to recall a smile untainted by blood and a laugh that isn't an echo of days past.

It doesn't work. Never did.

**ANTAGONIST-**

The Plan did not go as planned.

The boy was easy enough to persuade. After all, he wanted to be "stronger" and she lied. She promised him everything he wanted- power, love, and acceptance- _acceptance, friendship, apathy-_ if he would only come with her- _if he would only follow the path sensei set for them._

But on the threshold, he held back- _drew a line in the sand-_, his blue- _brown? No, stop staring, I didn't mean to kill you!- _all serious.

"What about Mizuki-sensei?" Naruto asks, looking back over his shoulder.

And the Plan did not go as planned.

**SENSEI-**

She still loves Orochimaru-sensei. And perhaps that's what sickens him the most. _-Don't hate them.-_

At first, he only fought out of obligation. But mid-fight the dynamics change. Anko reveals the truth to the boy. "Mizuki never loved you. Why would he? You killed his family. "

Naruto asks, dying a little inside as he does, "Was it all a lie, Mizuki-sensei?"

Mizuki didn't realize how much cared about the boy until he sees Naruto's pain and remembers. -_Did you love us at all, Orochimaru-sensei? Or was it another trick?_-

No. Never.

And Mizuki proved it with blood and steel.

Lying on the ground, impaled on Anko's nodachi-_katana-_ with his blood staining the earth- _snow-_and his senses dimming, Mizuki -_Iruka-_ is - _not_- ready to die. Naruto is safe. He kept his promise to Iruka. Nothing else needs to be said.

Then the clearing explodes into orange shadow clones and Naruto proceeds to deliver a beatdown to Anko.

Iruka used shadow clones too. Just not so bluntly. And not with such obvious glee.

Naruto turns and smiles at Mizuki, an honest, genuine grin. And Mizuki can see.

He sees the blonde boy who hates ramen and stinks at seals, instead of the raven-haired teen who was addicted to ramen and could seal anything around Orochimaru-sensei. He sees innocence instead of cynical optimism, a clean slate instead of a torn piece of paper.

He wonders how he didn't see it before. They were similar, but not identical. Now that he actually looks, the differences between Iruka and Naruto stand out like strokes of a paintbrush differentiating artists.

Iruka, intelligent and compassionate. Naruto, clever and still somewhat immature.

He smiles back.

For the first time since Iruka died, Mizuki can see Naruto the boy and not a flawed copy of his friend.

* * *

Baaaaa that was painful. Because each segment except the last was exactly a hundred words. And... oh, yeah:

**Tremor:** Anko killed Iruka when she left with Orochimaru.

This idea is another Bad Plot Bunny that keeps growing, especially considering who I have as Mizuki's siblings in my head canon (Kotetsu and Tenten) and the fact that _Iruka's dead_ has soo many implications for the Naruto universe. Iruka is a behind-the-scenes kind of guy. He isn't in the foreground much, but from what we know of him it's easy to see that he's involved in a lot of the goings-on backstage, especially when it comes to developing the characters of students.

Obviously, the title is a play on words- Steal, to take without asking, in which Mizuki takes Naruto in out of guilt/some unfulfilled duty he feels to Iruka and gains the bond with Naruto that Iruka would have had if he had lived. Steel, hard cold iron alloy that also happens to be the weapon Mizuki uses the most often and my headcanon surname for him (Hagane Mizuki).

Next time, I hope to touch on the flagrant Obito abuse Kishimoto oh so obviously indulged in. -_-


	5. Mean

**_Mean_**

* * *

You forced my hand.

I played Madara like a fool all this time, did his bidding, ran his errands, killed his foes. I was such a good boy I won his trust entirely. All I have done has led to this moment- and you still didn't cooperate. The situation was escalating far out of control, and if things went any further, all my goals would have become unattainable forever.

So I took you, right in the middle of the battle. I wouldn't have had to come here if it weren't for you. The Uchiha, Konoha- it's all been an act. You, Naruto, are the person I have come to deal with. I have traveled through time and space, fought fire and dark simply to have this conversation.

Stop struggling! Can't you see that I'm doing you a _favor?_ I'm keeping you from losing everything you care about- everyone! One or two of your friends may die in battle, but if you venture on that field, you will kill them all.

You see, I come from a world of fire and ash, a future that wasn't worth living in because _they were all dead._ All of my precious people died at the climax of this war- and you caused it.

How? Oh, there's actually quite a long list, most important one was running away from a jinchuuriki hideout to join the fight. A stupid, stupid move. Did you really think you were so strong, so powerful, so _smart _that you didn't need anybody at all? That maybe you should listen to the older, more experienced shinobi?

It was too late for regrets. When you joined the battlefield, you were caught. And the nine-tails was extracted from your body, but you didn't die. But you came to wish you had. The ensuing destruction and chaos obliterated the land for at least a twenty-five mile radius. Nearly every shinobi on the field was killed- including everyone I held dear to me.

You think you know pain, Naruto? You claim you grew up without love, but that's a lie. You had Shikamaru, Kiba, Chouji . You had the old man, but most of all you had Iruka. You had love. You were in shock when Jiraiya died, and that's only the tip of the iceberg. Imagine wandering through a wasteland of corpses, knowing them all by face and name and _knowing_ that you were to blame for their demise.

That is true pain.

And only way to stop it was to stop you.

Kill you? It's crossed my mind, I'll admit. But I can't, not while you have the Kyuubi inside you. And my entire plan hinges on you staying alive so you can keep the Kyuubi locked away for the rest of your life.

Yes, I'm insane. Yes, I'm a cruel heartless bastard. You're not the first person who's called me that.

I don't care what I become as long as I save the people who mean most to me.

Who am I?

I am the last survivor of Konoha. I am someone who tore his way through the fabric of space and time to get here. I harvested Sharingan from the bodies of the combatants and poured over ninjutsu scrolls simply so I could go back in time and fix the choices I made.

I am Uzumaki Naruto.

Believe it.

* * *

**Tremor:** Naruto's reckless dash onto the battle field ends with the Kyuubi loose. Kyuubi kills everyone Naruto cares about. Naruto's sanity breaks. And he goes all Orochimaru "I must modify my body with SHARINGANS_ to live forever_- nope, to fix time."

Did I mention how much I HATE Sharingan and Uchiha? (Except Obito. HE IS INNOCENT I TELL YOU, INNOCENT!)

Pretty much written in one sitting. Blame WhyMustIWrite. {She both inspired it and made me remember it.} I really have no other excuses.

(Technically written... in September, completely forgotten until Why and I were chatting and she said "what if". POOF I remember this fic.)

The title is another play on words. Mean- cruel, bitter. Means- as in, "The ends justify the means"

**Poll: **Haku Action or Tobi and kiddies taking out bad guys. (More Tobi stuff. I sense a pattern here.)

(In all likelihood the next Oneshot will be completely unrelated to both. Both requests I have been given [traitor Iruka and Zabuza sucessfully couping thr Fourth Mizukage] are in the works.)

(I like Parentheses)

((((()))))


End file.
